SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL BIODIVERSITY INSTITUTE ANNOUNCES THE DECISION TO RETIRE CHARLIE THE ELEPHANT FROM THE PRETORIA ZOO

The Members of the Pro Elephant Network have supported the EMS Foundation during their nineteenth month transparent process of negotiation with Minister Barbara Creecy and representatives from the South African National Biodiversity Institute with regards to seeking the best possible future options for Charlie, the solitary bull elephant at the Pretoria zoo in South Africa.

We highly commend the forward thinking decision of Minister Creecy and SANBI to retire Charlie from the Pretoria zoo, a decision which was announced today, 29th of July 2022.

We will continue to offer our extensive expertise during this ongoing process, in order to make sure that all the correct decisions are reached for Charlie.

Image Credit: EMS Foundation November 2021

©Pro Elephant Network 2022. All Rights Reserved.

MINISTRY CREECY INVITES PREN ELEPHANT EXPERTS TO ACCESS CHARLIE THE ELEPHANT AT THE PRETORIA ZOO

27th April 2022

FORMAL ANNOUNCEMENT

CHARLIE, THE ELEPHANT AT THE PRETORIA ZOO

The Members of the Pro Elephant Network wish to publicly confirm that on Friday 21st April 2022 they received a formal invitation from Barbara Creecy, the Minister for Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment to assemble a team of Elephant experts to assess the mental and physical health and well-being of Charlie the Elephant living at the Pretoria Zoo in South Africa.

Minister Creecy has, furthermore, given the assurance that she has provided the Chairperson of the South African Biodiversity Institute the authority to provide access to Charlie.

The Members of PREN wish to publicly express their gratitude to Minister Creecy for supporting their initiative to provide Charlie the opportunity of the best available expertise.

Arrangements are currently underway to assemble a team with the appropriate competencies to carry out this complex evaluation.

Stefania Falcon
PREN Coordinator 

Image Credit: EMS Foundation November 2021

©The Pro Elephant Network 2022. All Rights Reserved.

PREN EXPERTS COMMENTS ON THE DFFE SOUTH AFRICAN DRAFT POLICY POSITION

READ THE FULL SUBMISSION HERE:

Member of the Pro Elephant Network welcome a Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Draft Policy Position which has a broad vision of “secured, restored and rewilded natural landscapes with thriving populations of elephant, lion, rhino and leopard as indicators for a vibrant, responsible, inclusive, transformed and sustainable wildlife sector and an equitable society living in harmony with natural resources.”

The Pro Elephant Network members strongly and specifically support a phase-out of captive elephants in South African zoos, with the proviso that all due-care must be provided to elephants currently in captivity. The PREN elephant specialists would be happy to work with the South African authorities to identify the most appropriate solutions for these elephants.

IMAGE CREDIT: Dr Smaragda Louw Ban Animal Trading Johannesburg Zoo 28th July 2021

© Copyright Pro Elephant Network 2021. All rights reserved.

PREN REQUESTS AN URGENT MEETING WITH MINISTER CREECY

Wednesday 17th February 2021

Dear Minister Barbara Creecy,

SUBJECT OF MEETING: THE PROVISION OF SCIENTIFIC AND ELEPHANT EXPERT INPUT WITH REGARD TO A DECISION MAKING PROCESS FOR CHARLIE, THE ELEPHANT, AT THE PRETORIA ZOO IN SOUTH AFRICA

The Pro Elephant Network (PREN) hereby formally requests an urgent online meeting with the Honourable Minister to be attended by leading elephant experts and scientists.

The experts and scientists listed below have offered to assist the Honourable Minister, in order so that the best possible solution can be achieved for Charlie.

We, refer to our letter dated the 16th of December 2020 and we thank the Minister for her acknowledgement receipt of the same on the 17th December 2020.

The members of PREN are, however, becoming increasingly concerned about the physical and mental well-being of Charlie and the inadequate conditions provided for elephants at the National Zoological Gardens, in Pretoria.

Landa’s, Charlie’s companion, post mortem results and medical reports, which were also included in our letter to the Minister in December 2020, suggest the apparent consumption of sand by the elephants at the National Zoological Gardens. The consumption of sand could lead to serious if not fatal consequences. Charlie is also manifesting stereotypical behaviour of a highly stressed elephant.

The members of PREN are further concerned about the recent statement made in Parliament  “The National Zoological Garden is currently considering options as to whether to find a companion for our one remaining elephant” as reported in an article of February the 6th 2021. Acquiring more elephants is not the correct solution for Charlie, nor for the benefit of the National Zoological Gardens in Pretoria.

CHARLIE

South African National Day of Reconciliation, 16th December 2020, 

AN OPEN LETTER TO MINISTER BARBARA CREECY REQUESTING THE RELEASE OF ELEPHANT CHARLIE AT THE NATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS INTO THE CARE OF ANIMAL PROTECTION ORGANISATIONS

INTRODUCTION

The Pro Elephant Network (PREN) consists of a global community of diverse individuals and organization, comprising expertise from both western academies (including the fields of science, conservation, animal welfare, economics, community leadership, social justice and the law) and the indigenous paradigm. 

Zoos are places where wild animals are kept in captivity and are put on public display. Across the world wild animals are sold to and incarcerated in zoos for the controversial purpose of human entertainment and so-called education.  

Recently, the members of the Wildlife Animal Protection Forum of South Africa wrote an open letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa questioning the relevance of zoos in a democratic South Africa of the twenty-first century. 

The history of elephants in zoos in South Africa is one of extreme exploitation, violence and death, which saw baby elephants, mainly between the ages of two and seven, violently removed from their mothers and families, who were often killed in front of them, through the highly contested and contentious practice of culling―a methodology introduced by the Apartheid state at the height of the ivory trade.  

PREN is of the view that the elephant care standards adopted in South Africa zoos are woefully inadequate, unethical and untenable. Elephants live highly complex social and emotional lives and are defined by space and movement. Elephant cannot survive in near or complete isolation. Zoos rob elephants of their most basic needs and for this reason there is a high mortality rate. 

THE PRETORIA ZOO

The National Zoological Garden of South Africa, the Pretoria zoo, is the largest zoo in the country and eighth largest in the world and was founded in 1899. The zoo covers 85 hectares of land in central Pretoria. The South African National Biodiversity Institute known as SANBI was established on the 1st September 2004 through the signing into force of the National environmental Management Biodiversity Act 10 of 2004 by President Thabo Mbeki.  SANBI manages the National Botanical and Zoological Gardens.  SANBI’s mandate is to reveal and celebrate biodiversity for the benefit, enjoyment and education of all South Africans. 

The welfare of elephants in zoos is directly dependent upon the quality of life they experience, which in turn is driven by the understanding the zoo keeper has of the specific needs of elephants. 

This understanding may or may not be informed by scientific knowledge.   Sub-optimal conditions and husbandry practices can result in injury, disease and poor mental health.  It is critical that environmental conditions, management and husbandry techniques are employed that promote positive physical and psychological health for all elephants in human care. Currently a well-publicized, worldwide debate between zoos and animal protection and welfare groups about elephants in captivity is taking place.  At issue is whether zoos can provide enough space to properly care for elephants.  This This dispute has led several zoos to eliminate or phase out their elephant programs.  

We are concerned about the high number of deaths of elephants at the Pretoria zoo we would like to highlight some of the details surrounding the history of some of the elephants.

ELEPHANT MANAGEMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA THE SUBMISSION BY THE EMS FOUNDATION AND ANIMAL LAW REFORM SA TO DEFF HIGH LEVEL PANEL

SUBMITTED ON THE 15TH JUNE 2020

MINISTER BARBARA CREECY AND CHAIRPERSON ADVISORY COMMITTEE HIGH LEVEL PANEL

The submission also relates to the Management, Breeding, Hunting, Trade, Handling and related matters to the ELEPHANT, LION, LEOPARD AND RHINOCEROS

EXCERPT FROM THE SUBMISSION:

Component II: Elephants in Captivity – General (page 110 – 117)

  1. Elephants are highly social and have the largest social network of any mammal yet studied other than humans. There is a vast amount of research on elephant biology and behaviour which show that humans and elephants share the same attributes – once thought unique to humans.
  2. The susceptibility of elephants to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder demonstrates that among all species, elephants are extremely vulnerable to suffering in a captive setting.
  3. What we have learned about elephants means that we are confronting very real ethical issues in relation to our current policies and legislation that affects them.
  4. Globally there is huge concern for the well-being of elephants in captivity, particularly in relation to abuses attributable to the captive elephant industry, including:
    1. Capture of juvenile elephants from wild family groups.
    2. Cruel training and controlling methods – which typically involves the use of physical and psychological punishment.
    3. The conditions in which elephants are kept.
    4. The safety of people handling them.
  5. Several high profile cases illustrate these concerns, particularly in relation to ‘training’.
  6. The captive elephant industry has a history of cruel, abusive and domination training and deaths of handlers.
  7. The use of elephants in the elephant back safari industry is not only highly detrimental to elephants, but it also increases the risk of injury for personnel as well as the general public.
  8. In SA the training and keeping of elephants in captivity persists without adequate monitoring or control.
  9. As far back as 2005 a number of local and international animal protection organisations warned that South Africa can ill afford a rapidly growing captive elephant industry sliding out of control – but this is precisely what has happened.
  10. Once captured, elephants used in the elephant back safari industry and circuses are subjected to absolute control, social and physical deprivation, and in many cases, psychological and physical violence.
  11. Early trauma, chronic stress, and deprivation are common to elephants in captivity. The added stress and trauma exerted by such practices as beating, negative reinforcement, chaining, physical abuse, and social isolation further undermine elephant well-being that transmits laterally (among other elephants) and vertically (across generations). The experience of elephants in captivity is equivalent to that of many human prisoners and victims of torture.
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